New Orleans After Katrina: On The Ground

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina, the worst U.S. hurricane in a century, slammed into New Orleans, as well as other parts of Louisiana and the state of Mississippi.

Two years later, after billions of dollars of federal aid and thousands of hours of work, neighborhoods in New Orleans and its environs are still struggling with the devastation

CNBC's Scott Cohn covered the storm and its aftermath two years ago and has been following reconstruction efforts closely since then. Here's a sampling of our Cohn's coverage this week marking the two-year anniversary.

You can tell by the empty lots that a lot of debris has been cleared in this neighborhood, which was flooded when the canal wall was breached. Neighborhood residents are still living in trailers as others rebuild. Some are choosing to elevate their homes, others are not.

The Army Corps. of Engineers is testing a new system involving a flood gate nearby, which is meant to protect the area if and when future storms hit.

Tens of thousands of people fled New Orleans because of the 2005 hurricanes, but as Cohn reports many of those who stayed are still coping with the aftermath.

The Royal family is a good example. For most of the past two years, Kenneth Royal has been working a night shift so he could rebuild the family home during the day. His wife, Karran, has her own daily grind, including her efforts to get a new high school built. No school, no school bus either. Currently, she has to drive their son, Kendrick, back and forth to school.

Life could be easier, to say the least., but there are ample reminders -- like the FEMA trailers on her street -- that it could a lot harder.